O’Halloran out into the garden and tried to apologise for Gran’s behaviour Mrs O’Halloran laughed and told her that she thought nothing of it.
‘Sure and our last employer had his old mother livin’ with him and she was a naggy old woman; if we could put up with her and still get a grand reference, Mrs Hebditch won’t be hurtin’ our feelings,’ she said reassuringly. She turned a beaming smile on Maddy. ‘Dis place is the answer to a prayer and I can see we’ll all get on like pigs in muck.’ She glanced around at the kitchen garden of which Maddy was understandably proud, for no matter how tired she was she had kept at least half of it weed-free and productive. The vegetables she grew here were a large part of their diet.
She turned an appreciative glance on the older woman. ‘Does that mean it’s you who does the gardening?’
The Irish woman raised her brows. ‘’Tis the pair of us, but my husband can turn his hand to anything, so he’ll be after looking for any little job what’ll earn him a shilling or two.’
Maddy laughed. ‘He’ll likely get employment up at the Hall, then,’ she observed. ‘Mr Thwaite is always after someone to do bits of work and he’s a fair man and pays what the job’s worth.’ She had been leading her companion back through the farmyard, and now she gestured round her at the waist-high weeds and general neglect. ‘And if he doesn’t find paid work away from Larkspur he can always have a go at the weeds in here!’ They were approaching the back door when it suddenly occurred to her to ask Mrs O’Halloran when she and her husband would be joining them. ‘No doubt there’s a heap of stuff you’ll be bringing over, either in a hired van or a horse and cart,’ she added. ‘Would you like me to give you a hand?’
Mrs O’Halloran stopped short, sniffing the air, her nostrils flaring with pleasure. ‘What’s dat I can smell?’ she said. ‘’Tis a perfume as sweet and strong as any I’ve ever smelled! Ah and isn’t it the scent from dis wonderful dark red rose? Oh, I could stand and smell it all day, so I could.’
‘Yes, it is lovely,’ Maddy agreed. ‘Long ago, when I was small, Gran used to make potpourri and these were the rose petals she liked the best. But I was asking you when you would be bringing your luggage up to Larkspur. How would next weekend suit you, or do you have to consult your husband?’
Mrs O’Halloran shook her head. ‘Declan and myself will be of one mind,’ she said. ‘We’ll bring our stuff at the weekend.’ She pushed the back door open as she spoke and walked in on a cosy domestic scene: Gran dispensing tea and biscuits to Mr O’Halloran and the doctor, whilst chatting on the very subject Maddy had just brought up.
‘. . . so you’ll be bringing your stuff next weekend?’ Gran was asking, and Maddy was relieved to hear that she had apparently accepted the Irish couple. ‘We’ve got a deal of blankets and there are a couple of bedsteads in the attic.’ She chuckled. ‘Is that why you chose the rooms up there? Because you didn’t fancy trying to carry bedsteads and mattresses down the attic stairs?’
Everyone laughed, and Dr Carlton got to his feet and addressed the O’Hallorans. ‘I must go; will you come with me, or stay here for a while and walk down later? I’m sure Maddy will show you the quickest path. Will you need help with your luggage, by the way? How much will you be bringing?’
‘Not a great deal; we’re not overburdened with stuff,’ Mr O’Halloran admitted. ‘We travel light, me and the missus; two suitcases, that’ll be it. ’Twas all found whilst we worked for Lord Bromfield, but we’ve everything we shall need.’
‘Lord Bromfield! Well, you’ll find it very different working for Lady Hebditch,’ Gran said with a dry chuckle. She waved a hand at her visitors. ‘Off with you; and mind you’re on time on Saturday ’cos your first task will be to help me do a
‘Sure and our last employer had his old mother livin’ with him and she was a naggy old woman; if we could put up with her and still get a grand reference, Mrs Hebditch won’t be hurtin’ our feelings,’ she said reassuringly. She turned a beaming smile on Maddy. ‘Dis place is the answer to a prayer and I can see we’ll all get on like pigs in muck.’ She glanced around at the kitchen garden of which Maddy was understandably proud, for no matter how tired she was she had kept at least half of it weed-free and productive. The vegetables she grew here were a large part of their diet.
She turned an appreciative glance on the older woman. ‘Does that mean it’s you who does the gardening?’
The Irish woman raised her brows. ‘’Tis the pair of us, but my husband can turn his hand to anything, so he’ll be after looking for any little job what’ll earn him a shilling or two.’
Maddy laughed. ‘He’ll likely get employment up at the Hall, then,’ she observed. ‘Mr Thwaite is always after someone to do bits of work and he’s a fair man and pays what the job’s worth.’ She had been leading her companion back through the farmyard, and now she gestured round her at the waist-high weeds and general neglect. ‘And if he doesn’t find paid work away from Larkspur he can always have a go at the weeds in here!’ They were approaching the back door when it suddenly occurred to her to ask Mrs O’Halloran when she and her husband would be joining them. ‘No doubt there’s a heap of stuff you’ll be bringing over, either in a hired van or a horse and cart,’ she added. ‘Would you like me to give you a hand?’
Mrs O’Halloran stopped short, sniffing the air, her nostrils flaring with pleasure. ‘What’s dat I can smell?’ she said. ‘’Tis a perfume as sweet and strong as any I’ve ever smelled! Ah and isn’t it the scent from dis wonderful dark red rose? Oh, I could stand and smell it all day, so I could.’
‘Yes, it is lovely,’ Maddy agreed. ‘Long ago, when I was small, Gran used to make potpourri and these were the rose petals she liked the best. But I was asking you when you would be bringing your luggage up to Larkspur. How would next weekend suit you, or do you have to consult your husband?’
Mrs O’Halloran shook her head. ‘Declan and myself will be of one mind,’ she said. ‘We’ll bring our stuff at the weekend.’ She pushed the back door open as she spoke and walked in on a cosy domestic scene: Gran dispensing tea and biscuits to Mr O’Halloran and the doctor, whilst chatting on the very subject Maddy had just brought up.
‘. . . so you’ll be bringing your stuff next weekend?’ Gran was asking, and Maddy was relieved to hear that she had apparently accepted the Irish couple. ‘We’ve got a deal of blankets and there are a couple of bedsteads in the attic.’ She chuckled. ‘Is that why you chose the rooms up there? Because you didn’t fancy trying to carry bedsteads and mattresses down the attic stairs?’
Everyone laughed, and Dr Carlton got to his feet and addressed the O’Hallorans. ‘I must go; will you come with me, or stay here for a while and walk down later? I’m sure Maddy will show you the quickest path. Will you need help with your luggage, by the way? How much will you be bringing?’
‘Not a great deal; we’re not overburdened with stuff,’ Mr O’Halloran admitted. ‘We travel light, me and the missus; two suitcases, that’ll be it. ’Twas all found whilst we worked for Lord Bromfield, but we’ve everything we shall need.’
‘Lord Bromfield! Well, you’ll find it very different working for Lady Hebditch,’ Gran said with a dry chuckle. She waved a hand at her visitors. ‘Off with you; and mind you’re on time on Saturday ’cos your first task will be to help me do a
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